Apple Watch was inspired by the Cartier Santos

Apple's Watch, which is due in April, is widely expected to crack open the market for smartwatches. In 2014, it was perhaps the most rumoured product, more so than even the iPhone 6. In a recent profile of Johnny Ive, Apple's design head, details about the Apple Watch development process surfaced.

While most watches are round, the Apple Watch is a square. Johnny Ive claims that square was the logical shape for the wearable as its main function was lists. A round screen according to him 'does not make any sense', in the New Yorker profile.

In addition, he claimed Marc Newson, who only recently joined Ive's team at Apple was a part of the Apple Watch development process from the start. Newson had experience designing watches and was involved from the start.

Importantly, Newson's vintage Cartier Santos wristwatch served as an inspiration for the Apple Watch. Like the Apple Watch, the Cartier Santos also has a square dial. Besides this, Newson had also designed the IkePod watch, which looks quite similar to the design of the Apple Watch.

The profile also reveals that the Apple Watch is being positioned as a premium smartwatch that would compete with a Rolex, Cartier or an Omega, than say something cheaper like an Tissot. It is being claimed that the Apple Watch will use extremely premium materials, similar to timepieces from Rolex, but would be positioned be price much lesser than such high-end luxury items.

The profile also revealed that Ive was a car nut and owned a Bentley Mulsanne and an Aston Martin DB4. Ive claimed that he loved the Mulsanne for design purposes.

The profile also reveals that he is not very fond of designs that modern cars have. Apple reportedly is developing an autonomous car of its own, and if that is the case, it certainly helps that Ive has strong opinions about cars.